Tohm Bakelas

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i am the maestro

strong winds and hot rain
bend trees in swaying anguish,
birds seek shelter and
the sky turns black—

i exit my car and
stand in the road,
orchestrating it all

i am the maestro
in this concerto
of violence

even god is impressed,

though i don't need
god or anyone else
to tell me they're
impressed

Tohm Bakelas is a social worker in a psychiatric hospital. He was born in New Jersey, resides there, and will die there. He is the author of 23 chapbooks and several collections of poetry, including "The Ants Crawl In Circles" (Whiskey City Press, 2022). He runs Between Shadows Press.